This application describes a jewelry assembly, and more particularly, a jewelry assembly in which the appearance of an air space between one or more diamonds or other jewelry stones and the supporting jewelry article is achieved.
Prior art settings for diamonds and other precious and semi-precious stones generally include a conventional xe2x80x9cbox-settingxe2x80x9d in which the metal holding the diamond is visible. This obviously interferes with the overall aesthetic presentation of the jewelry article.
Recently, a process has been developed to create an xe2x80x9cinvisiblexe2x80x9d jewelry stone setting in which the diamond or other gem is cut below the girdle thereof. The cuts below the girdle provide a mechanism for invisibly mounting the stone. While this invisible setting technique provides an improved aesthetic presentation of the stones of a jewelry article, it is often necessary to use stones of substantial size in order to create the desired effect. This is obviously quite costly, and may preclude the average consumer from purchasing a jewelry article with invisibly cut diamonds or other stones.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a jewelry article with one or more invisibly cut stones which create the appearance of a larger stone while reducing manufacturing costs.
Generally speaking, in accordance with the invention, a jewelry assembly which creates the appearance of a space between one or more diamonds or other stones and the supporting jewelry article is provided. The jewelry article is integrally formed with an internal frame for defining a window therewithin. At least one jewelry stone or gem is invisibly set with the window such that a space is defined between the one or more stones and the frame of the jewelry article.
In one embodiment, the jewelry stone is set into a hidden metal box located rearwardly of the setting area using an invisible setting technique. The box is then attached to the jewelry article itself by means of supporting fingers depending from the rear corners of the box.
In an alternative embodiment, a plurality of stones is arranged in a particular configuration or array, and the metal of the jewelry article surrounding this plurality of stones is separated therefrom by an air space. As with the first embodiment, a number of supporting fingers depend from the bottom corners of one or more of the invisible setting boxes in order to attach the stone array to the surrounding jewelry article, while at the same time giving the appearance of a space between the plurality of stones and the article.
The jewelry article may be a ring, a necklace, a bracelet, a pendant, or any other type of jewelry piece.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved jewelry design assembly.
Another object of the invention is to provide a jewelry design assembly which creates the appearance of a space between one or more stones and the surrounding supporting jewelry article.
Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a jewelry design assembly which has an enhanced gem or stone presentation.
Still a further object of the invention is to provide a jewelry design assembly in which the set stones are securely held within the jewelry article.
Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the following description.
The invention accordingly comprises a jewelry design possessing the features, properties and relation of components which will be exemplified in the designs hereinafter described, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.